Being nervous about an interview is natural; being scared is a different story — it usually means you are not prepared. Think back to your first exam of your college career. While you may have felt anxious, the more you prepared, the more confident you felt.

According to Kim Heitzenrater, director of career and leadership services at the University of the South, “If you remain cool, calm, and collected during an interview, you’ll project an air of confidence that is attractive in a candidate. You’ll give strong, thoughtful answers and ask interesting questions of those you meet. You’ll be able to demonstrate that you’d remain calm when stressful situations arise in the course of your work with them, and you’ll be the person they want on their team.”

Here are a few general tips and strategies we recommend for helping manage your interview jitters.

1) Be prepared
Knowledge is power: the more you know, the more confident you will be. When it comes to preparing for your interview, there are three things you need to know:

• Yourself (e.g., your résumé, strengths, weaknesses, goals, personal characteristics, etc.)
• The position description (most interview questions are generated from the job description)
• The organization. Research not only the organization — mission, vision, values, accomplishments, and what makes it unique — but also those you will be interviewing with. Using LinkedIn, Facebook, or Google can provide you with individualized information that other candidates may not bring to the table.

Then, practice and practice more. Work with your career services team to conduct practice interviews. Basically, do your homework: You will be surprised how valuable preparation can be in any interview. For additional interview preparation tips, please check out our Interviewing Guide.

2) Plan ahead
Now that you’ve prepared to the best of your ability, it is essential that you plan ahead for your upcoming interview. The fewer worries you have to deal with the day of the interview, the better. Start by printing off plenty of copies of your application (résumé, cover letter, references, etc.) on résumé paper well in advance of your interview. If you don’t have a padfolio, this is a good time to get one.

We recommend that you also prepare a list of questions for the interviewers. For suggestions on types of questions to ask, visit our Interviewing Guide. We typically recommend bringing 5 to 10 questions. Some may be answered during the interview and you always want to have at least 3 go-to questions to ask at the end. If you find some difficulty in coming up with questions, AI is a useful tool to help generate questions based on the job description. Make sure you provide any AI tool with plenty of background information to get the best responses. 

Next, prepare what you are going to wear the day of your interview. This could include dry-cleaning, ironing, and laying out your clothes in advance.

Finally, make sure you map out your travel route to the interview. Check traffic and weather reports — you want to prepare for anything and everything you could encounter during your commute. Your goal should be to try to arrive at least 15 minutes early; nothing will get you more frazzled or anxious than being late. Once you arrive on-site, allow yourself plenty of time to sit in your car, collect your thoughts, breathe, relax, and become focused.

3) Think Positively and Confidently
Think of it not as an interview, but as a conversation: a conversation between people who are trying to assess one another’s compatibility and fit. Believe it or not, they are nervous as well — they need to hire the right person!

Another way you can approach the interview positively and confidently is to visualize yourself delivering a great interview. You’ve come a long way through the application process, and the only thing standing in your way is the interview. Think of it like running a marathon: if you’ve run 24 miles, do you throw in the towel with 2.2 miles remaining or do you finish strong? Our advice: finish strong!

Any time you receive an interview, it has been pre-determined that you meet the qualifications for the position. Employers will not waste their time, money, and energy interviewing a candidate who is not a good fit. Your résumé, skills, experience, and accomplishments have got you an interview now offer a firm handshake, smile, and showcase your preparation. You are on your way to a potential offer!

Posture is another way for you to show your confidence. By sitting up straight and squaring your shoulders, your voice will project much better than if you are hunched over..For those who experience shaky or sweaty hands, we recommend that you fold them and place them in your lap. 

For a trembling voice or butterflies in your stomach, try closing your eyes and taking several deep breaths. Practicing deep and full inhales and exhales will bring more oxygen into the blood (a natural relaxant).

Remember, employers are not seeking perfection; instead, they are looking for someone who is resilient and adaptable. They are also not holding a stopwatch and judging you on delayed responses, or length of responses. Make sure you take your time to formulate your thoughts: silence can be an ally. If you are caught off-guard with a question, you don’t have to jump right into a response. Take your time and, if nothing is coming to you, it is okay to ask the interviewer if you can come back to the question.

Fear and excitement can often produce the same responses, but don’t confuse the two. Remember that an interview can be stressful, but it’s also an exciting opportunity.

Good luck!